There are many computer-like devices that have no keyboards but still require text entry. One example of such a device is a so-called "Internet TV" device that enables a user to browse the World Wide Web of the Internet using a television and a simple infrared (IR) remote control. Another example is a video game device having limited input controls. Both of these devices are used in conjunction with CRT's or other two-dimensional graphical displays, but have no keyboards.
Typically, control buttons available to the user are limited to directional control keys and some variation of an "action" key. The directional control keys are used to move a cursor or focus to various locations on a display, and the action key is used to select an action corresponding to the cursor or focus location.
FIG. 1 illustrates one method of text entry that utilizes a "spin dial" 10. A spin dial has a small box 11 containing a symbol that can be changed by the user. Up and down arrows 12 and 13 are positioned on the top and bottom of the box. The user can position a cursor over the up and down arrows and press the action key to change the displayed symbol. For instance, pressing the action key when the cursor is positioned over the up arrow changes the displayed symbol to the next in a sequence of symbols--from A to B, for example. Similarly, pressing the action key when the cursor is positioned over the down arrow changes the displayed symbol to the preceding symbol in the sequence.
This method of text entry is easily learned and consumes little screen space. However, it can be inconvenient since scrolling to a particular character might take quite some time. Particularly, this method does not allow for skill development--it does not allow a user to develop techniques for shortening the entry process.
FIG. 2 illustrates another popular method of text entry, utilizing a "virtual keyboard" 15. The virtual keyboard is actually an on-screen representation of a conventional QWERTY keyboard such as implemented in typewriters and computer keyboards. To select a particular character, the user moves the cursor to that character and presses the action key. A "done" key indicates the end of text entry.
This method has the advantage that a user, with time, can learn the positions of the symbols and can thus shorten the text entry process. However, the virtual keyboard occupies a very large amount of the screen, and thus obscures other information that might need to be displayed. In addition, the distance between characters is large, and very large cursor movements are therefore required to enter strings of text.